This invention relates to turbine engines, and more particularly to turbine engine augmentors.
Afterburners or thrust augmentors are known in the industry. A number of configurations exist. In a typical configuration, exhaust gases from the turbine pass over an augmentor centerbody. Additional fuel is introduced proximate the centerbody and is combusted to provide additional thrust. In some configurations, the augmentor centerbody is integrated with the turbine centerbody. In other configurations, the augmentor centerbody is separated from the turbine centerbody with a duct surrounding an annular space between the two. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,685,140 and 5,385,015 show exemplary integrated augmentors.
The centerbody may contain a burner serving as a combustion source. For introducing the additional fuel, a number of spray bars may be positioned within generally radially extending vanes. A pilot may be proximate an upstream end of the tailcone. Alternatively or additionally to the burner, a number of igniters may be positioned within associated ones of the vanes to ignite the additional fuel. Trailing portions of the vanes may serve as flameholder elements for distributing the flame across the flow path around the centerbody.
Separately, electro-graphitic carbon materials have been developed for a variety of uses. US Pre-grant Publication 20050084190A1 discloses a variable vane inner diameter (ID) bushing made from electro-graphitic carbon.